Steering wheel red line

[Killjohnathan]

Ok, I am really hoping you guys can help me out with some ideas on how to mod my steering wheel.

I have a '13 screw in blue with the blue accent trim.

That being said the red tab on the steering wheel really bothers me. (I know what it is there for, and the debate on whether I should can it or not can be started on another thread)

I want to make it match the trim in the truck. The problem is, I am not sure how to go about this. Is this something that I can tackle at home or do I need to go see a professional.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[justvettn]

I really like the red and would never change it.
They do sell a vinyl dye that all the ricers use to change the interior color, that should work and would be the easiest solution if you wanted to do it yourself.

 

[greenie1434]

Get some blue electrical tape and cover it.. haha shouldnt look too bad

 

[Ruger]

Okay, there is a way to deal with this if you understand how leather takes die. First you have to bleach out the red as much as possible without damaging the surrounding black. That's going to take a lot of q-tips, some very careful work, time and bleach. Then you will need to get some blue leather die (go to a Tandy Leather store or visit their web site). Leather takes die better when it's thirsty, so you will want to pre-treat that strip with acetone to dry it out and make it ready to take the blue die. If you're patient and thorough, you can have a blue strip on your steering wheel instead of a red one.

 

[BIRDMAN]

find a local upholstery shop and have them re-skin the steering wheel to your liking. They can probably do it without removing it. in a past life i inquired about something similar and was quoted $150 for a custom leather skin.

 

[kawie95]

 

[IPvFletch]

FWIW, my truck (bought it used) has the Red piece scratched/scuffed up a bit. ****** me off to look at it. Only blemish on the otherwise awesome truck. I was thinking about using plastidip (red or black or something) to thicken it back up and smooth it out. Not sure how it will turn out, but I figure it is kind of rubbery to begin with - plastidip might be a perfect texture to refinish it. Rewrapping it may or may not work, but I'm not about to cut the few red threads and find out the hard way.. not yet at least... Just a thought...

 

[Srock]

I'm with you I want it black. Keep up posted on your progress. I'm too chicken to adventure out on my own with this one.

 

[justvettn]

I am so surprised that people don't like the red stripe but to each his own. I still say the best solution to this is to use the vinyl dye, (not the way Ruger suggests that would be to messy) The vinyl dye is more of a paint then a dye. A lot of guys in the car show scene use it to change the color of seats and dash covers, its easy to use and durable.

 

[Ruger]

JV, I'm kind of a purist. For example, I don't paint good wood. I stain it and varnish it so you can see and enjoy the beauty of natural wood. Paint is made in a vat in a factory. Same thing with leather. Leather is a beautiful natural product, and vinyl comes from a factory vat. It's just a personal preference of mine.